No decision coming Tuesday for reopening Richland schools

Richland is delaying a decision on when to bring students back to classrooms for hybrid learning.

School officials announced Friday afternoon they will talk at Tuesday’s regular meeting about holding a special session on reopening for in-person classes.

The special meeting will address when students will return, along with schedules, public health requirements and protocols.

“In anticipation of this special meeting, the board is not expected to make any decisions at the Sept. 22 meeting regarding when most students will return for some in-person instruction,” the district posted on Facebook.

Richland’s plans, like other districts, call for the next step to be a “hybrid” model where students spend part of the week in class and part of the week learning online. That allows half as many students at a time to physically attend class.

The schedule for when students would be in class hasn’t been decided.

Kennewick schools plan to start in-person hybrid learning for special education and preschool students starting the week of Oct. 5. All other students begin Oct. 12.

The Benton Franklin Health District has said the COVID-19 infection rate in Benton County is declining enough to allow schools to reopen partly in-person as early as Oct. 1.

Pasco, and most other Franklin County schools, may be able to reopen as early as Oct. 15, though recent coronavirus cases have not been dropping as quickly. The Pasco School Board plans to talk through the issue at its meeting Tuesday.

The health district’s decision had many people expecting a move from the Richland board at its Sept. 22 meeting. The board’s decision to wait for a special meeting was met with mixed reactions on Facebook.

Some noted that smaller private schools are already open and that Kennewick is moving forward, and wondered why Richland needed more time.

“I would have thought that plans for reopening the schools should have been thought out weeks ago, not just beginning now,” one person wrote. “If the health department ‘approves’ of the district’s opening and RSD is not ready then they’ve REALLY dropped the ball.”

Others were glad the district wasn’t trying to scramble for an answer.

“I see no reason to just follow along with what another district does,” another person wrote. “I want it done carefully and methodically. I prefer not to bounce back and forth.”

This story was originally published September 19, 2020 at 1:36 PM.